The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-01-15
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The financial condition OF lhn i,laIu ~,

Inc nnanClul cOnultlOn OF lne oldJO sLi.l iIUStt,
attention. In special message sent you last
April, it was pointed out that TO pay the unex-
pended balances OF the unusually large appro-
priations of your immediate predecessors and to
reimburse the drafts made by the last admins
tration upon the revenues OF this year to pay
the expenses OF last year, amounting in the ag-
grcgate to the enormous sum OF So5o,Ooo 1t had
been made necessary to borrow the entire
amount OF S750,000 allowed by the constitution to
meet casual deficiencies.
In view OF the fact that the expenses OF our
State Government must necessarily continue to
increase, and the further fact that our tax dupi-
cate was not correspondingly increasing it was
also recommended that you enact q law to tax
the liquor traffic, and give to the General Rev
enue Fund Of the State twenty-five per cent. OF
the income arising therefrom.
You enacted the law taxing the liquor traffic
but deemed 1t your duty to give the full benefits
thereof to the relief of local taxation, and be-
cause of the absence fromthe State OF certain of
the Senators and the consequent distrust by cap
italists of the bonds OF the State, issued under
such circumstances, you authorized the borrow
ing OF but 600, that being In your judgment
sufficient, us 1t has proven, to meet the public
demands until our certificates OF Indebtedness
could be put upon the market without any kind
of discrcdit.
The consequence is that it has become neces.
sary to anticipate the revenues of next year to
provide funds to meet the obligations Of this,
though to much smaller extent than was done
last year. The State Auditors report will advise
you that the total receipts from all sources for
the General Revenue Fund for the next year will
amount to about $2,S000O. The probabilities
are that on the fifteenth day Of next February
we will have anticipated this to the amount OF
about 100000, and that at that time there will
remain to be paid unexpended balances Of the
appropriations Of this year about S2O00O0.
In other words, the net revenues available for
next year will not exceed s., 100000 To the ex-
tent your appropriations exceed this sum 1t will
be necessary to again anticipate next December
the revenues of the following year, less unex'
amount to about 90 0OO,O 600, the sum appropriated
for this year, and the unexpended balances be
100000 the amount they arc estimated to be at
the end Of this year, the amount you would have
to anticipate would be $4,000.
1t Is difficult to see how you can appropriate
less than you did last year. We cannot afford
support Of the public institutions Of the State
They must be caiVl for with sufficient liberality
to enablo them to eliciently serve their high pur
pose. They have not heretofore had AL the hell
they should have been given. But this burden
will necessarily be considerably increased this
year by the appropriations necessary for the
construction OF the intermediate peSiteItiary
and the furnishing and maintenance OF the To
ledo Insane Asylum.
The only considerable item of expense thai
can be saved is that for the transportation o
prisoners.
1t would be more just to require each county
to pay Its own expense for this purpose Eacf
and the result would be more vigilance at ieas
| in scrutinizing accounts. But this alone woulC
not make enough difference In results to NEE
/ IQe case.
Unless some provision is made, therefore, Il
| increase the revenues the deficiency will bl
larger at the end of the year than should be an
| ticipated from the taxes OF next year. In fact
| to use q common but expressive expression, W.
should 'catch up" and thus avoid altogether
the crippling system OF robbing the future u
| pay for the present.
| Without increasing our sources OF revenue 10
which something will be said hereafter) there
| are only three ways thought OF In which thi.
| may be done. One is TO increase the rate o
taxation; another is to borrow, and the third |.
to give the State portion OF the liquor tralil'
| tax.
The first method should not be adopted ex
| cept us u last necessity; the second could onl,
partially give relief since no more than $3.50, 90
could be borrowed on such account (the consti
| tuti0nal provision for casual deficiency beini
$i5O,0OO, and $5O0,00o having beeL already Dor
| rowed.)
l. would seem best, therefore, TO give relic
by apportioning the liquor tratic tax. II is onl.
law, should have a part OF the help arising there
from, at least temporarily, until the situation Il
relieved, especially in view OF the fact that tn,
necessities OF the State are almost wholly COCA
stoned by the obligations II has assumed In tn,
erection and maintenance OF charitable ans
penal institutions.
1t is necessary to give attention TO other mat
ters pertaining TO the subject.
cate pointed out In the special message TO whicl
reference has been made has been arrested
and we have the gratifying fact presented o. al
increase for this year over last year OF more thai
sIss'eoa sss howsHsS ms,SAs apS the way an'a "
fair listing and assessment OF propert
are more apparent than over. 1t wa
pointed out In the special message that ther
was total lack OF Uniformity In the valuation
OF property, and thai v number of the Nationn
banks OF the northern part OF the State hal
brought suits Ia the United States courts TO on
Join the collection OF taxes on their shares Z